X-Men Vol 1 72
| NextIssue = (series) (story) | Editor-in-Chief = Stan Lee | CoverArtist1 = Werner Roth | CoverArtist2 = Dick Ayers | CoverArtist3 = Sam Rosen | Quotation = | Speaker = | ReprintOf1 = X-Men #21 | StoryTitle1 = From Whence Comes...Dominus? | Writer1_1 = Roy Thomas | Penciler1_1 = Jay Gavin | Inker1_1 = Dick Ayers | Letterer1_1 = Artie Simek | Editor1_1 = Stan Lee | Synopsis1 = The X-Men are racing toward the secret hideout of their alien foe Lucifer when their ship is suddenly deflected by a strange force field. Flying away from the scene to find another way through, the team notices strange objects being pulled out of the sky into the mysterious base. Also witnessing the spectacle is Porter Mack, the owner of a Dude Ranch near Buchanan's Butte, the location of the disturbance. Feeling that the strange goings on will drive away his customer base, he takes some of his best men out to investigate the disturbance and try to find some way to stop it. The X-Men meanwhile keep on circling the Butte until the strange light source disappears, however upon approaching the Butte they cannot get any closer still because it suddenly starts spraying a geyser of hot water at them. Spotting a nearby stream that goes under the Butte, the X-Men decide to investigate to see if it's a safe passage into their foes hideout. Leaving their plane, the team leaves the Professor behind as they begin to search for a way into their base. Along the way they are spotted and attacked by Porter and his posse, who think the X-Men are responsible and attempt to capture them as there may be a reward since they are still wanted criminals. However the X-Men make short work of their would-be attackers, sending them sprawling into the river below where they retreat, all except for Porter who avoided this humiliating defeat. Porter attempts to take a shot at Iceman but fails when Angel spots human and quickly disarms him. Sealing him in an ice block around his arms, the X-Men load the would be attacker on a horse and send him packing back to his ranch. Continuing to search for an entrance, the X-Men make their way to the river and have Iceman create an ice raft for them to ride along. They follow the river to the underground opening and find themselves caught in a whirl pool. As the X-Men are swept away, the Professor is shocked to find that telepathic contact with his students have been severed, however before Xavier can do anything he is confronted by two robots commanded by Lucifer's Dominus robots who capture the Professor and carry him away into Lucifer's base. Taken before Lucifer himself, the Professor is put at the aliens mercy with the robots inquiring if they can destroy the telepathic Mutant. Lucifer refuses the request, telling the robots and the Professor that he prefers that Xavier lives so that he can witness as Lucifer's Dominus super-computer enslaves the entire world. While elsewhere in Lucifer's base, the X-Men are separated, with Angel, Cyclops and Marvel Girl being captured in a transparent cage. Beast and Iceman meanwhile, are attacked by another Dominus robot that attempts to capture them, but fails to stop the young Mutants. Although they manage to escape the robot they run right into a dropping metal wall that knocks them out, allowing for them to be captured. With all the X-Men his prisoners, Lucifer gloats over his victory and that he intends to use the Dominus computers (operated by the robots) to activate a device that would strip humanity of their individual wills and turn them into slaves that would toil and work as slaves of the Quist aliens that Lucifer is a member of. Meanwhile, the X-Men attempt to break out of their prison, to no avail, and when the Dominus robots place Iceman and Beast into their cell they fail to free themselves as they are pushed back by an incredible force. However, the X-Men manage to free themselves when Jean uses her telekinetic powers to operate the release switch on the cells control panel. Freed, they ambush the one robot left to guard them and race toward Lucifer's control room. With the alarm sounding, Lucifer sends his robots out to try and stop the X-Men. The X-Men duck out of sight to avoid detection and then rush Lucifer. They get a mental command from the Professor telling them not to damage the computer, however Iceman doesn't believe the command came from the Professor and attempts to destroy it anyway, but Marvel Girl stops him. This leads to a brief scuffle between teammates until they all decide to hold off on destroying the computer until after they have dealt with Lucifer and his robots. The X-Men destroy all of Lucifer's robots. With his robots destroyed, Lucifer stops the battle and rushes to his communication device for more orders. When the Supreme Leader appears on the screen, he informs Lucifer that with the ultra robots -- the only things that could operate the computer -- destroyed, their mission is a failure, and that Lucifer is to return to their home planet to be punished. Suddenly right before the X-Men's eyes, Lucifer and all of his equipment are teleported away from the scene. With the threat passed, the Professor explains to his students that his mental probing had learned that the Dominus computer has a specific defense mechanism: That it would redirect any force thrown against it right back at it's attackers putting his students at risk, and thus the reason why he ordered them not to attack the computer directly. With all explained, the X-Men and the Professor depart the base to return home, unsure where Lucifer came from or if the aliens he represented will threaten the Earth again. | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * :* :* :* :* :* * Adversaries: * :* - :* - , * - :* - :* - :* - :* :* :* Other Characters: * Porter Mack (rancher) - * Smith (Porter Mack's ranch hands) - * Unnamed ranch hand * Unknown , Locations: * Southwestern US desert :* Buchanan's Butte ::* Lucifer's headquarters * Sirius , Items: * * * Cosmic Crystalline Cube Vehicles: * X-Jet * Professor X's hovercraft | ReprintOf2 = X-Men #24 | StoryTitle2 = The Plague of the Locust! | Writer2_1 = Roy Thomas | Penciler2_1 = Werner Roth | Inker2_1 = Dick Ayers | Letterer2_1 = Sam Rosen | Editor2_1 = Stan Lee | Synopsis2 = The X-Men are shocked that Jean has released a letter from Jean's parents has been received telling Jean that she has to leave Xavier's school and begin attending Metro College in New York. The Professor gives her a corsage as a parting gift and she is driven into the city by Warren with Scott accompanying them. The whole ride up Scott broods over never being able to express his feelings to her, while Warren muses how she will be attending classes with the Human Torch. Jean dismisses the idea of being "another super-hero" on campus, telling Warren that she is just going to be plain ordinary Jean Grey. Arriving at the building, Jean and the others are introduced to Ted Roberts, a student at the college who escorts Jean to where she has to register. As Ted leads Jean away, Scott believes that he's lost Jean for good. While elsewhere in a wheat field a new villain has appeared that will cause havoc in the X-Men's lives: The Locust. Armed in a costumed fashioned after the insects for which he is named after, he intends to create an army of gigantic insects to threaten the worlds food supply by sending them to eat all the wheat in the area. His attack on farmland American not only garners the attention of the authorities who are stumped by the weird happening, but the X-Men as well who arrive on the scene to investigate at the Professor's orders. The X-Men track down the Locust's insect horde and battles them. However, the Locust manages to escape when the authorities spray the area with a crop duster loaded with insecticide, clouding the X-Men allowing the Locust to flee. Back at Metro College, Jean is shown around by Ted, and they who's attentions are drawn toward Professor Hopper, an eccentric professor at the College whom the students make fun of. Overhearing some of the students taunts, Hopper lashes out at them, Jean finds him familiar and Ted tells her that he is the top Entemologyst until he was fired for his bizarre theories, who now works in chemicals. Returning to his lab, we learn that Hopper is really the Locust and that his experience with insects have allowed him to create a device that can make insects grow to fantastic sizes, he swears to get revenge against both the X-Men and all those who mocked him. Meanwhile, the X-Men are busy examining one of the giant grasshoppers that were commanded by the Locust, and they theorize if he is a mutant or not. The Professor tells them that Cerebro confirmed that the Locust is just a normal human when they are visited by Jean who is down to visit for the weekend. Jean tells them of the strange Professor Hopper and suspicious of his involvement they go to Ryan Chemicals and uses his credentials to be shown Hoppers work. Hopper is nowhere to be found, his boss telling Xavier that he has a mobile lab he works out of sometimes. The Professor finds a map of locations where the Locust has struck and where he will strike the again and sends out the X-Men to stop him. While the X-Men battle the Locust's insects, the Professor (disguised as a wise old man) convinces the unhinged Hopper to renounce his evil ways. When the X-Men destroy the insects and Hopper's lab, the Locust finally breaks down and listens to the Professor and is turned over to the authorities. The X-Men find out that the Professor has once again utilized his special device that allows him to use his psi-powers to walk in order to appear to Locust as a wise old man. | Appearing2 = Featured Characters: * :* :* :* :* :* * Supporting Characters: * * Mr. Hamilton (Plant Supervisor, The Locust's boss) Adversaries: * Other Characters: * Farm owners, Cora and Henry * Unnamed policemen * Unnamed US Coast Guard soldiers * Bob and Chuck (Metro college students) * Unnamed Metro college students Locations: * :* ::* :* :* Ryan Chemicals lab :* Unknown NY farmlands * Ohio River Items: * * Professor X's Mechanical Legs Vehicles: * Professor Xavier's Rolls Royce * | Notes = | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links = }}